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Department of Computer Science

Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science

John Barr, Associate Professor and Chair

From individual communication to mass media, from scientific
research to business, from entertainment to health care, technology
provides the structure and tools for living and working in the
contemporary world. The majors and minors offered by the department
of computer science are designed to equip students with the
knowledge, problem-solving abilities, and technical skills to
design and create this technology for the 21st century. All courses
in the department introduce real-life problems and emphasize both
practical programming and basic concepts, so that students can
understand and adapt to continually evolving technology.

Majors in Computer Science

The computer science B.S. and B.A. majors combine breadth in
theoretical and practical computer science with depth in
specialized areas. The B.S. in computer science focuses on
developing a depth of knowledge and skills in computing and the
natural sciences, while the B.A. in computer science offers more
flexibility for students who wish to also pursue majors or minors
in other fields. In both programs, students are able to master the
fundamental concepts of computing and develop the problem-solving
skills needed to create computer-based solutions across all
disciplines. Both programs also emphasize the challenges in
human-computer interactions and the design skills necessary to make
technology both approachable and useful for humans. Finally, both
degrees provide students the comprehensive understanding of
computer science necessary for a career in industry or for graduate
school.

Major in Emerging Media

The B.S. in emerging media, a partnership between the Department
of Television-Radio in the Roy H. Park School of Communications and
the Department of Computer Science in the School of Humanities and
Sciences, combines coursework in new media platforms and computer
programming to provide students with a unique skill set in emerging
media technologies: identifying market opportunities, designing
concepts, employing storytelling structures, programming and using
software tools, developing sound economic models, and promoting the
kinds of organizational and consumer change that make new media
products successful. The mission of this program is to produce
graduates who will be leaders within the evolving discipline of
emerging media whether as designers and creators of media and
technology or as entrepreneurs creating media products. Because new
media are inherently multidisciplinary, integrating artistic
creativity with computational expertise, this program takes an
integrative approach to the education of our graduates -- while
still maintaining a strong disciplinary focus.

Students entering through the Department of Computer Science
take the media computation concentration, emphasizing computer
systems design and programming. Students entering through the
Department of Television-Radio take either the media design and
production concentration or the media entrepreneurship
concentration, emphasizing the creative design and promotion of new
genres and platforms for emerging media. All students share a
substantive common core, then branch out into the concentrations to
develop their specialties, and finally come back together in two
upper-level project courses where they will work as teams to
design, develop, and pitch a new media product, such as an app for
an iPhone, a new form of gaming or entertainment genre, or an
innovative educational simulation.

Minors

The computer science department offers several minors designed
to help students effectively incorporate technology in a diverse
array of fields:

The minor in computer science provides general computational
skills that enable students not only to use computers and computer
application, but also to extend and combine applications to make
them more effective.

The minor in web programming helps students gain a deep
understanding of how to create engaging and effective websites,
while also ensuring that they have a thorough knowledge of the
fundamentals that enable them to quickly adapt to emerging web
technologies.

The minor in game development focuses on the concepts central
to the design and implementation of games, and on understanding the
structure of the technologies behind games.

The minor in computing technologies, with an emphasis on
practical applications rather than theoretical concepts, enables
students to understand and use a wide variety of computer
applications.

Requirements for Honors in Computer Science

The award of honors in computer science recognizes excellent
overall scholarship and the successful completion of an
honors-level capstone experience. Students must apply for honors in
the semester before their senior year, and chosen students register
for the honors course (COMP 49300) in their senior year. The
department selects students based on their computer science
maturity, creativity, and the ability to do independent work. Final
approval for honors is decided by department vote.

Students in the School of Humanities and Sciences enroll in the
media computation concentration; students in the Roy H. Park School
of Communications enroll in either the media design and production
concentration or the media entrepreneurship concentration.

Core requirements

TVR 12400

Introduction to Media Industries

4

STCM 12300

Systems Thinking and Design

3

COMP 17100

Principles of Computer Science I

4

COMP 17200

Principles of Computer Science II

4

COMP 20200

Computation Foundations of Emerging Media

4

TVR 21400

Design of New Media: Theory, Function, and Analysis

4

TVR 32000-TVR 32099

Topics in Media Technology

4

COMP 38500

Emerging Media Project or

TVR 38500

Emerging Media Project

4

COMP 48500

Emerging Media Capstone or

TVR 48500

Emerging Media Capstone

4

Total, core requirements

35

Media computation concentration

COMP 11500

Discrete Structures

4

COMP 22000

Data Structures and Algorithms

4

Select one of the followinglevel-2
electives:

COMP 20500

Advanced Web Programming

COMP 20700

Game Development Methods and Technologies

COMP 22500

Human Computer Interaction

Total, level 2 electives

4

Select three of the following level-3 or level-4
courses:

COMP 33000

Virtual Reality

COMP 35400

Intelligent Systems

COMP 37500

Database Systems

COMP 41500

Computer Graphics

Total, level-3 and level-4 courses

12

Total, concentration in media computation

24

Media design and production concentration

CNPH 10400

Story: From Cave Paintings to Emerging Media

3

TVR 10500

Introduction to Audio

2

TVR 11500

Introduction to Field Production

4

TVR 12200

Media Aesthetics and Analysis or

CNPH 10100

Film Aesthetics and Analysis

3

Select 8-10 credits from the following (at least one course
must be at level 3 or above):

COMP 20700

Game Development and Technologies

4

TVR 21500

Fiction Field Production I

4

TVR 27100

Audio Production*

4

CNPH 32400

Advanced Cinema Production: Animation*

4

TVR 30900

Motion Graphics*

4

TVR 31000

Experimental Media: Production and Criticism*

4

STCM 30300

Serious Games*

3

STCM 37100

Websites That Work*

3

STCM 38000

E-Learning*

3

CNPH 43205

Writing for Videogames and Emerging Media*

3

TVR 40000

Special Topics in Media Production*

1-4

Total, concentration in media design and
production

20-22

*Course has prerequisites that the student is responsible for
meeting.

Media entrepreneurship concentration

TVR 26000

Quantitative Research Methods

3

TVR 21100

New Media Economics

4

TVR 22000

Global Flow of Media

3

MKTG 31200

Principles of Marketing*

3

TVR 31200

Government and Media or

TVR 31300

Topics in Media Law and Policy

3-4

TVR 46000

Senior Seminar

3

Total, concentration in media
entrepreneurship

19-20

*Course has prerequisites that the student is responsible for
meeting.

Other requirements

Media computation concentration

Students are required to complete general education
requirements as detailed by the School of Humanities and
Sciences.

Media production and design concentration and media
entrepreneurship concentration

Students are required to complete a minor outside the Park
School (in consultation with their adviser) that complements their
course of study.

Students are required to fulfill current TV-R department
general education requirements.

Students are required to complete 60 credit hours of coursework
outside the Park School.

Students are encouraged to spend a semester off campus (e.g.,
study abroad or the IC Los Angeles Program).

All majors are required to complete 60 credits of liberal arts
in order to complete the requirement of a B.S. degree.

All majors are required to maintain an overall 2.5 GPA to remain
in the emerging media degree program. Students are required to earn
a C- or better in all required courses in the emerging media
curriculum in order for the course to be applied to the degree (not
including general education or outside minor courses).